Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
Why Princess Zelda is named after Zelda Fitzgerald
Nintendo creator Shigeru Miyamoto admired Zelda Fitzgerald and thought she was beautiful and brilliant, so he chose her name for the princess.
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The Overwatch DJ who heals with music
In Overwatch, the DJ’s high-tempo music does more than set the mood: it heals his teammates.
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The StarCraft session that lasted 50 hours
In 2005, a 28-year-old South Korean man died after a marathon gaming session reported to have lasted about 50 hours, with only short breaks. The story became…
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How penguins could bankrupt your Zoo Tycoon park
In Zoo Tycoon, some animals bred so quickly that players could return to a penguin exhibit packed with birds—and a spiraling fish bill.
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Why splitting tens can ruin a winning hand
A pair of 10s already gives you 20, so splitting them trades one strong hand for two that need to draw well.
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The Stanley Parable rewards you for leaving it alone for five years
The original game's 'Go Outside' achievement requires a five-year break before returning. It turns the usual reward loop upside down: instead of demanding…
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Perfect scores of 501 in darts require nine throws
A nine-darter demands precise scoring and a carefully planned checkout, which is why it is considered darts' ultimate achievement.
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Tomb Raider interrupts exploration with a T. rex
The Lost Valley encounter suddenly changes the scale of the threat facing Lara. The player who has been reading paths and ruins now has to deal with a huge…
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Some foosball tables use three men to keep the ball moving
On a flat-cornered table such as a Tornado, the extra figures on the goalie rod can reach balls that would otherwise sit out of play near the corners. Other…
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Halo multiplayer relies on incredibly sticky aim assist
Strong aim assist helps make dual-stick controls workable in fast-paced combat by keeping the crosshair close to targets. That can make aiming feel less…
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Eight-ball scratches surrender total cue ball control
Under standard eight-ball rules, a scratch gives your opponent ball-in-hand: they can place the cue ball anywhere on the table, potentially setting up an easy…
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Dreamcast memory cards could trade data without the Dreamcast
Two Visual Memory Units could connect directly, allowing compatible data exchanges without going through the console. Each device also had its own small…
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Carcassonne players place wooden meeples to claim points
A meeple stays committed to a city or road until that feature is complete, so players have to manage their limited supply carefully.
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Capcom originally meant Capsule Computers
The name combined “Capsule” and “Computers,” reflecting the company’s idea of arcade machines as self-contained capsules of entertainment and distinguishing…
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Pung declarations strictly require three identical tiles
A pung is a set of three identical mahjong tiles. To claim one, you need another player to discard the exact tile you need.
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GoldenEye's split screen ruined stealth
Players could watch their rivals’ quadrants, so matches devolved into chaotic shootouts and preemptive rocket launches.
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German Half-Life gave its enemies a mechanical makeover
The censored release replaced human soldiers with robots. Friendly human characters received a different workaround: rather than dying as in the original,…
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In this game, you paint the world to see it
In The Unfinished Swan, players fire globs of ink into a blank world to reveal the architecture around them, turning exploration into a kind of messy…
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Sonic the Hedgehog was almost a rabbit
Developers first considered a rabbit that would grab objects with its ears and throw them at enemies. They abandoned the idea because it was too slow for a…
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Direct sunlight completely bleaches printed inks within weeks
Ultraviolet light breaks down pigment molecules, so colors can fade to gray after weeks in direct sun.
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Dinosaur simulators requiring four hundred gigabytes
With its maps and expansions installed, Ark: Survival Evolved can take up about 400 GB—enough to fill a standard solid-state drive.
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In Ark, raw meat can fill your stomach while hurting you
The survival game's food rules distinguish hunger from health. Eating raw meat provides a small amount of food but also costs health, while activity and…
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Candy Crush put a price on continuing right now
The match-three game lets players run out of lives and wait for them to return, while offering paid ways to keep going or obtain help. That makes time and…
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Riku translates to solid land in Japanese
The name contrasts with his friend Sora’s sky-related name, creating a land-and-sky pairing.
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